Happy Birthday to the US Navy

The US Navy is having a birthday – a significant birthday, at that. Two-hundred and fifty years ago, the Continental Congress on Oct. 13, 1775, passed a resolution that established the Navy by funding “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, [to] be fitted, with all possible dispatch, for a cruise of three months,” according to the Naval Heritage and History Command. That three-month cruise has turned out to be a little longer.

From Merchant Privateer Vessels to US Navy

Today, the US Navy is the most powerful seagoing military service in the world. However, it wasn’t always like that. When there were only 13 original colonies, America did not have a naval force; instead, it had a fleet of merchant vessels, the crews of which volunteered as privateers to engage the British during the Revolutionary War. Although not organized as a structured navy, the privateers proved to be a formidable fleet.

By the end of the US War of Independence, estimates suggest that there were 2,000 such merchant vessels, boasting more than 18,000 guns and crewed by 70,000 men, according to historical records. Over the course of the war, the US privateers captured approximately 1,500 British ships. The courageous exploits of the fledgling US naval forces have set the standard for the US Navy since that early beginning.

When the Revolutionary War concluded and Congress established the US Navy permanently, the new sea service comprised just two fully armed warships. Over the years, it has grown into a global naval power. Early action saw US warships participate in the Barbary Wars, taking on the role of protecting American trade routes against the Barbary Pirates. During the War of 1812, US frigates, such as the USS Constitution, claimed victories against larger British warships, earning a reputation for being an impressive naval force. The Navy grew in size and capability throughout the Civil War, maintaining Union blockades against the Confederate states and controlling the coastal waterways.

As the 19th century drew to a close, the US Navy acquired more capable steam-powered, steel-hulled ships, characteristic of a modern navy. With the increased capacity, the US Navy assumed responsibilities for projecting the US influence around the world. However, in the early and mid-20th century, the US Navy became the most powerful in the world, playing a crucial role in both World War I and World War II.

As the atomic age dawned, the US Navy demonstrated the importance of deterrence with nuclear-powered and armed submarines. Currently, the Navy operates a growing fleet of more than 290 warships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and littoral combat ships, that establish maritime dominance.

The US Navy has been and continues to be a vital member of America’s armed forces, demonstrating a global capability that keeps our nation strong. Happy 250th Birthday, US Navy.

1. On Oct. 13, 1775, the Continental Congress created the US Navy, 250 years ago.
2. Before the 13 colonies won the Revolutionary War, America did not have a naval force; instead, it had a fleet of about 2,000 merchant vessels, the crews of which volunteered as privateers to engage the British.
3. In the atomic age, the US Navy has nuclear-powered and armed submarines, with a fleet of more than 290 warships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and littoral combat ships.